How rising jet fuel prices are driving up the cost of fighting wildfires

A firefighting aircraft drops retardant ahead of the Palisades Fire on Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. Justin Sullivan/ hide caption toggle caption Justin Sullivan/ In the summer of 2021, five "Fire Boss" airplanes skimmed the surface of a lake. They belonged to aerial firefighting company Dauntless Air, and they were helping fight a wildfire in Washington state. CEO Brett L'Esperance described the planes this way: "So if you've ever seen Planes 2 , this is Dusty Crophopper." In a video of the maneuver shared by Dauntless Air, the single-engine aircraft roar across the water one by one, filling their twin pontoons with water. While the U.S. government is in charge of fighting most big wildfires, nearly all the 500 or so aircraft they use are privately owned by contractors like Dauntless. "Fire Boss" airplanes skim the surface of a lake while helping fight a wildfire in Washington state in the summer of 2021. Last year, those planes burned through about $50 million worth of jet fuel. Every fire season is different, but if this year is the same as last season, that fuel bill would almost double to nearly $100 million. That's because the price of jet fuel has skyrocketed since the war in Iran began in late February. Ultimately, taxpayers will be the ones to shell out tens of millions of dollars more to fight summer wildfires this year. Willis Curdy, a retired firefighting-aircraft pilot, said planes are often pushed to their limits. …